Charlotte Match Report - 2/11/12

It was a cold day at the pitch but the NORFC Gold side put on another scorcher as it hosted Charlotte.

The game followed a decisive if less than elegant 27-10 victory by the Green side over Pensacola. Green is now 4-0 in its second season.

Gold took the field before a solid home town crowd of fans, high school ruggers and lady ruggers and the team did not disappoint.

From the start, New Orleans kept the opponent pinned back behind their 22. The backs took it wide through hands and set up Adam Ducoing to thread it in for the first score. The conversion was wide and the game opened at 5-0.

A few minutes later from open play New Orleans again got it wide and this time Chance Doyle brought it in untouched, juking a defender behind the 5 meter line. Doyle converted. 12-0

From the next kick off, Alex Philpott raced it nearly clear up the pitch, making it to about Charlotte's 5. From a lineout at this field position, the forwards simply mauled it up for a try, touched down by Ryan Fitzgerald. 17-0

Charlotte now seemed determined to answer and knocked hard at New Orleans' door. A dominant performance in the scrum by New Orleans kept the opponent's off balance, but a number of penalties kept them in the home team's red zone.

Eventually New Orleans got it out of dodge, and though Charlotte threatened a few more times it was New Orleans that scored next. Nick Benvenutti made a huge break behind their 22 and planted it between the posts. The conversion was good and the half ended with the home team up 24-0.

As the second half began, it was clear Charlotte hadn't found an answer to overcome the New Orleans defense though they were effective in keeping New Orleans bottled up for a time.

But, from one timely offload Fitzgerald trucked along for a 50-meter run to be tackled just one meter short of the line, where Adam Ducoing in support was able to pick up the ball and score, upping the lead to 29-0. A few minutes later, it was Fitzgerald again to find a break and offload to Doyle who passed to Ducoing to score in the corner. 34-0.

Now reserves began entering the game and injecting fresh legs. The try tap had been open for a while, and now the gushing continued.

From a line out deep in Charlotte territory the pack mauled it a few meters closer to the try line. Jeff Reuther plucked the ball from the deck and zapped it in to score. With a Doyle conversion it was 41-0.

And the tries kept coming. Ducoing pulled off a chip and chase to score his 4th try of the day, and Doyle converted. 48-0

Near the end it looked like Charlotte would get on the board after New Orleans let a kick hit the deck and a fast Charlotte back streaked it down the touch line. But Reuther caught him, and pushed him out near the New Orleans 5, preventing a near-certain try. Two phases later, New Orleans was deep in Charlotte turf again and Paul Bode shrugged off a few defenders to score. 55-0

Faster than you can take notes, Bou-Mikael made a long break and was tackled 2 meters short of the line and popped the ball to Reuther who scored in the corner. 60-0

From a 5 meter line out, the forwards took care of business and Matt Upton bulled in the last try. Doyle converted and the game ended 67-0.